Crow Speak

The Crows are a prolific family being found in almost every branded family community. They are commonly used as messengers between families and often extended communities. Because of their widespread visibility and the innate intelligence of corvids, the Mubari use the birds to facilitate their hunter cell network.
The shadow crow is a species unique to the Mistlands. The shadow crow is the only known variety that will openly attack other birds in flight. It is similar in size to the common companion species of Crows, but Its beak has small serrations and a pronounced hook, its talons are more elongated, and there are white patches on the soles of its feet. It is also intelligent and adept at mimicking sounds.
Crow speak was developed to enable shadow crows to be messengers to Mubari hunter cells, invisible in plain sight, without the risk of written messages being intercepted or conversations overheard. Any deployed Mubari hunter can awaken to find a shadow crow perched on his sill or have one of the birds land next to him on a park bench. The crow speak the name of a specific notched scale. The hunter will respond by placing the indicated scale where the crow can see it. Once satisfied, the crow will deliver a message. The message could be a contact, the name of a coordinator, a target, or even a series of instructions. Once the hunter has committed the message to memory, they either put the coin away, dismissing the crow; exchange the coin for one indicating a return message; or offer the crow a bit of meat and the bird will accompany them until a mission report is ready.
Crow speak is a combination of whistles, clicks and taps used to communicate a simple vocabulary based on an archaic Mubari dialect.